Ex-nurse waives drug theft charges to trial

A former Millcreek Community Hospital nurse accused of stealing pain medication faces trial on drug charges after waiving her preliminary hearing this morning.

Lynne M. Ritz, 47, of Erie, waived her hearing before Greene Township District Judge Susan Strohmeyer on 36 felony counts of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deceit and/or subterfuge, and on misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and theft by unlawful taking.

Ritz remains free on $1,000 bail.

State drug agents filed the charges in July following an investigation in which they accused Ritz of taking doses of Dilaudid, an opioid pain medication, from the hospital on 36 occasions between Nov. 8 and April 13.